


The World won't wait and I watched you shake

by Marishna



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Werewolves, Famous Derek, M/M, NYC, Pre-Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, hide me!, meet cute, stiles is a shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-12 22:02:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4496376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marishna/pseuds/Marishna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles was pretty sure Derek Hale, famous movie star, wasn't going to hold him up at gun point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The World won't wait and I watched you shake

**Author's Note:**

> Written for prompt #131 "conceal" for fullmoon_ficlet on LJ.

Stiles Stilinski swore he was the only person in New York City to never actually have a real New York City "experience."

He wasn't even sure what he thought an "experience" should be. Maybe to get caught up in an impromptu protest down Broadway or give directions celebrity or hell, even an attempted mugging. Not that he _wanted_ to be mugged but it was the sentiment that mattered. 

He sighed and ran the feather duster haphazardly over the ornate front of an armoire, the third time he'd been bored enough to dust at his job that week. He worked at an antique shop, tucked away on a side street in SoHo, to help pay for NYU. 

During his shifts he usually got a couple customers, a few hipsters poking around and a handful of tourists who were always disappointed when he said they didn't have a public bathroom. His boss, who he rarely saw, did "private deals" with a lot of his merchandise and normally that kind of phrasing would make Stiles think something not entirely legal was going on but he saw the books, it was legit.

Didn't mean his Sheriff dad had to know.

New York City was entirely normal and average for Stiles and that was fine.

He supposed.

***

An hour to go before he could lock up and he was trying to stay awake as he sat at the counter, bored stupid. He'd already texted with Scott for an hour, with Lydia, his dad, done some research for a paper that wasn't due for two months, rearranged an entire display of glass collectibles by color, run out of lives on every game on his phone.. and there was still an hour to close.

The bell on the door clanged sharply and Stiles jumped, realizing he'd been drifting off. He snapped up and was about to call out a greeting when the patron rushed up to the counter, out of breath.

"Hide me!"

Stiles gaped.

"Please!"

Stiles narrowed his eyes. "Are you hiding from the cops? Do something wrong?"

"No!"

Stiles shrugged and unfolded his long legs from the stool and gestured for the visitor to follow him. If his dad could see him now he'd probably have a heart attack, thinking how reckless Stiles was being. But Stiles was pretty sure Derek Hale, famous movie star, wasn't going to hold him up at gun point.

"In here," Stiles said, opening the door to the armoire. 

Derek frowned. "You don't have a bathroom or something?"

"Not for the public."

Derek furrowed his magnificent eyebrows and looked like he was going to argue but the bell rang at the door and he all but threw himself inside. Stiles shut the door quietly and picked up the duster, sweeping it light over some shelves of ceramic figurines.

He heard the quick tap of footsteps through the shop until they stopped behind him.

"Can I help you?" Stiles asked without looking.

"Did a guy come in here?"

Stiles turned around and put on a confused act. "Guy? What do you mean?"

"Did a tall guy with dark hair run in here? Is there a back door?" The stranger asked, craning his neck to look past Stiles where the office and bathroom were. "Maybe in the bathroom?"

"Sorry, bathroom's not for tourists," Stiles replied and returned to dusting.

"I'm not a _tourist_ ," the guy spat and Stiles looked back at him again.

He squinted at the guy, then pointed a finger. "Hey, don't I know you? Aren't you that guy who does the 'In Too Deep' investigations for the Post? You followed Jennifer Lawrence for weeks before she slapped a restraining order on you, right? What's she like, anyway? How'd she smell? Can I get your autograph?"

Stiles rapid fired the questions at the guy until he let out a frustrated yell and stormed out of the shop. Stiles shrugged and returned to dusting. He waited until a minute after the bell chimed when the guy left before calling out, "Coast's clear."

Derek pushed the door open and unfolded his large frame from the cupboard.

"Uh, thanks," he muttered. 

"Not every day I get to help a famous person hide from the blood sucking scum of the earth that are tabloid reporters," Stiles said with a shrug. He tossed the duster away and sat on the stool again while Derek watched him warily.

"You know about all that?" Derek asked.

Stiles would have to be living under a rock to not know about his ex-girlfriend Kate Argent who reportedly tried to hire a hitman to kill Derek and his family when he broke up with her.

"I've heard things here and there," Stiles said lightly. 

"Right," was all Derek said, his mouth twisted. He turned to leave and Stiles was just about to make a snarky comment when the reporter walked past the window again and Derek ducked to hide behind the armoire.

"If you're gonna be here for a while feel free to dust," Stiles said, pointing to the duster without looking up while he took out his phone and started playing Candy Crush. 

"How am I going to get out of here?" Derek muttered, letting his head fall back on the heavy wood.

"I can sneak you out the back when I leave in less than an hour," Stiles said without looking up.

"You'd do that?" At Derek's surprised tone Stiles did meet his eyes and was taken aback by his open expression.

"Sure. I'm letting you out another door, not concealing state secrets," Stiles snorted.

"Wish everything was that simple," Derek sighed. 

Stiles stared at his phone, heart pounding, and licked his lips. "Wanna tell me about it over coffee?"

Derek was quiet so Stiles chanced a glance and there was that surprised look again. His cheeks got read, wanted to apologize immediately but—

"Yeah. Okay, yeah."

_Now **this** is an experience,_ Stiles thought. 

Indeed.


End file.
